General manager : flight services : north wales

Role Overview

Our client is an established provider of Flight Training Services and Capabilities and works closely with the RAF and alongside the UK Military Flying Training System. To support their continued high‑level activity at the RAF Valley facility in North Wales (Anglesey), they are seeking a senior level General Manager who will be responsible for the continued supply and delivery of training equipment/aircraft and technical capabilities.

Considered a new role for the organisation and with the continued demands of our clients core customers, this position of General Manager is to take the overall responsibility for the performance of the activity at RAF Valley. This is a high‑impact, high‑visibility leadership role requiring a credible leader who can deliver:

• Operational delivery and performance


• Regulatory governance (Part 145 / airworthiness)


• Senior stakeholder engagement (MoD / Customers / regulators)


• Cultural leadership and transformation

Responsibilities

The successful candidate will act as our client’s senior leader at RAF Valley, accountable for site performance, customer confidence, safety and regulatory integrity. Being comfortable operating at senior military / government interface levels and having experience in handling sensitive issues, escalations and reputation management, the role will have the following general responsibilities/exposure:

• Be responsible for circa 60 personnel and have close working connectivity with other Group sites


• Internal and external customer engagement and strength in relationship management


• Ensure continued levels of service and support are delivered against all activities on site


• Report to the Group Senior Management Team and be required to work closely with all offices, ensuring a close and visible relationship


• With an expectation for the service and capabilities to expand on the RAF Valley site in support of future customer demands, you will need to be able to support technology and capability change, managing implementation and success


• Commercially, the General Manager could be requested to work with the Group to identify potential further service expansion opportunities whilst in regular contact with their customers

To support this role, suitable candidates would need to have existing exposure to the aviation activity/maintenance environment, along with having existing exposure with the MoD and relating defence organisations. Defence staff can be actively considered alongside staff from an aviation/MRO environment. This is not an office‑based position, but is to be on the ground, visible and have positive engagement at all levels. Scope and Breadth of the role includes:

• Operations


• Engineering / maintenance


• Regulatory alignment


• Stakeholder interface


• Culture and engagement

Specific Experience Targets and Requirements

• MRO / Part 145 organisation


• Airworthiness / CAMO / maintenance leadership


• Military aviation (RAF / Fleet Air Arm) / relating industry


• Defence primes or complex outsourced operational environments


• 10:15+ years experience in regulated operational environments


• Proven senior site / programme leadership (5+ years)


• Direct accountability for:




• Operational performance


• Safety/compliance environments


• Customer/stakeholder relationships




• Strong working knowledge of:




• CAA / MAA regulatory frameworks


• Part 145 / airworthiness frameworks




• Nominated Post Holder experience: highly desirable (but not essential)


• Technically credible enough to challenge, guide, and represent compliance

Being required to support SC, this position is a site‑based role at RAF Valley but also needs to be able to travel in support of business activity, as necessary. This role comes with a senior level salary range.